Wreck Of The Arden Craig, 1911

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This stunning photo was taken by Francis James Mortimer.  This picture shows the wheat ship Arden Craig aground on rocks off the Scilly Islands, west of Cornwall.  The ship, built in 1886 by Russel and Co. Port Glasgow, yard # 149, was in passage from Melbourne to Calais, when she piled up on rocks in a heavy fog.  No loss of life.  This photo is extraordinary.  This is on the highest f-stop, and must have been a plate camera of some type.  The composition draws the eye to the ship, where the two boats are headed, while all the men are watching the wreck.
Aha! 
This picture was taken with a waterproof camera Francis made, and may be a photo composite, which would explain the incredible detail.
8pm 22 October 1707 Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell in his flagship the HMS Association piled onto these rocks along with 3 others in the fleet.  2000 men died.  There are legends that he was murdered for a valuable ring he was wearing but few now believe that.  It was also reported that a sailor tried to warn him and he was executed for his pains, this did not happen.  Dava Sobel repeats this story in Longitude, her riveting account of John Harrison's clock that changed the world, and she certainly would have known better.  Once I catch a historian telling lies for dramatic affect I will read them no more.  No one would know about such an execution anyway as everyone on board died.


Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell, MP for Rochester, 1650 - 1707



Sir Cloudesley's first grave.

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